EYE ON THE SKY: The Department of Astronomy’s Planetarium Getting Major Facelift
Who does not like Planetarium shows? Our astronomy department has enthusiastically provided them to a captivated public for decades.
But the department’s existing Planetarium, constructed in 1967, for the last several years has struggled with outdated equipment, a water-damaged planetarium dome, and timeworn chairs, among other things.
Now, plans are underway to change all that. When the Planetarium shuts down on June 4th, its quarters on the 5th floor of Smith Lab will be stripped down to bare cement. Workers then start from scratch to rebuild a stellar new facility that will be a true showcase for the department, the College of Arts and Sciences and for Ohio State.
The WOW Factor
When the Planetarium re-opens in late fall, 2012, visitors can expect to be wowed—both by its fantastic new look, and its exponentially-increased functionality.
Beautiful--and comfortable--chairs, carpeting that reduces scattered light, an improved sound system and lighting will enhance visitor enjoyment of what takes place above them.
But the real show is not in the ambiance or amenities. The uber-wow factor lies in the new Spitz SciDome XD, the latest in digital projection technology. The XD uses two projectors to display 2560x2560 (that's over 6.5 million) pixels onto the planetarium dome.
Ohio State’s Planetarium will be one of only four institutions in the nation to install this state-of-the-art equipment. It replaces the old, circa 1960s Spitz Starball, which is being donated to Perkins Observatory in Delaware, Ohio.
One of the coolest images that the XD can project is the night sky from anywhere on Earth. But it is not limited to that.
Imagine: FLY-OVERS
Among the possibilities the XD offers: flying over planetary surfaces, flying through the solar system, projecting the latest images and movies from NASA spacecraft on the dome, and showing how the skies looked millions of years ago--and will look millions of years in the future.
Bringing the Stars into Focus for Central Ohio
Currently, the Planetarium hosts 2000-3000 visitors annually, including school and community groups. The new Planetarium will be able to serve even more people, on campus and throughout the central Ohio area.
Planetarium shows are given by astronomy graduate students, working on forefront research. Current graduate students Rebecca Stoll, Jill Gerke, Courtney Epstein, Calen Henderson, and Kate Grier, along with faculty members Jennifer Johnson and Richard Pogge could not be more excited.
Finally, they will be able to give visitors insight not only into the motions of the stars and planets, but into new areas of discovery—quite a change from the current equipment that is limited to showing only the motions of stars and planets across the sky.
